28i 
1883.] T/ze Glacial Epoch . 
pical, like a shadow before) life kingdom before it, while it 
was followed behind by temperate, and the temperate by 
tropical life ; thus the whole chasing one another round the 
world, dividing species like a ship the sea, which closes be- 
hind, spreading devastation around in the extermination of 
species and the denudation of the landscape, followed in its 
turn by a vastly newer life in respedt of time, paving its 
way with a new formation over the land and sea. 
The signs of its progress will be denuded and effaced in a 
“day” of Geology; it is but the latter of the last part of 
its last journey, that is too patent to escape our observa- 
tion. It may have played a far more important part than it 
is credited with, and the “ destruction of species,” at which 
the modern sage so cheaply sneers, may perhaps be some- 
thing more than a “ myth ” of the old geologists. It is 
perhaps within the range of possibility that these times may 
be astronomically ascertainable. 
The more natural an explanation is the more likely it is 
not only to be more readily accepted, but to be true also. 
Yet the immensity of the question is so profound that it 
seems utter audacity on my part to put forward my observa- 
tion, particularly in criticising a man like Darwin. 
Might we not guess at the progress of the Poles ? Has it 
not been more than once in a direction from Europe to 
America,— i.e., was America its latest station ? We know 
that its life-kingdoms, so to speak, are apparently behind 
Europe, which must mean an immensity of geological time. 
The longer the time the more vigorous the species resulting, 
the struggle for existence having full play ; so that, when 
brought in competition with a less highly evolved series of 
species it is not surprising that they spread rapidly, and that 
the reverse seldom occurs. Thus a re-distribution of species 
is occasioned. Did the South Pole make its last retreat over 
new Zealand and Australia ? 
If these visitations have taken place since the islands 
generally were isolated, will it not explain the absence of 
mammals, or species of any kind, that could not cross the 
surrounding seas again ? We might guess that, as far as 
the horse, &c., went, it had swept the American continents 
from end to end, leaving no side to escape, but driving all 
before it. If it be shown that there are countries where the 
old geological fauna and flora exist posterior to what is 
considered the Glacial Epoch, then this may show that it 
was visited at a more recent date before the last crisis in 
Europe. The torrid zone, of course, would always follow 
the Earth’s equators, and fossils recently discovered show 
VOL. V. (third series). u 
